Inching towards the All-Star break, the Yankees and Red Sox battle at the top. In fact, they are the featured match up this weekend. Take a look at what else is on tap for June 29 to July 1 in Major League Baseball. Note that any information presented is through games played June 26.
Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees
The Red Sox and Yankees enter with the two best records in the league. This battle is nearly a toss up. Both teams are at +26 on the Power Ranking Indicator and both “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator. Likewise, both are near the top in Team Stability. On the mound Friday is Eduardo Rodriguez versus CC Sabathia. Both are in the green on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator with Rodriguez holding an edge of +354. Surprisingly Chris Sale continues to be a poor bet at -477. However, he a more sure bet than his opponent on Saturday, Sonny Gray, who is at -1734. David Price holds at +287 to -52 advantage over Luis Severino in the series finale on Sunday. With the edge on the mound in terms of profit all weekend, one might pick a Boston sweep. That wont be the case, but don’t be surprised for Boston to head into New York and take two of three.
Washington Nationals versus Philadelphia Phillies
The Nationals and the Phillies continue to battle the Braves for top spot in the NL East. The Phillies took two of three in Washington in the last meetings between the teams. The Phillies hold a +20 to +13 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and “average” to “ice cold down” on the Team Strength Oscillator. Friday’s match up on the mound features Erick Fedde versus Nick Pivetta. Both have been solid bets with Pivetta holding a slight (+407 to +247) advantage. Vincent Velasquez is scheduled to take the ball for the Phillies on Saturday, and he’s been a very poor bet at -984 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. While Jefrey Rodriguez hasn’t been a sure thing, he’s in the green at +138 for the Nationals. The finale features Gio Gonzalez versus Jake Arrieta. While Arrieta hasn’t won a game since late May, he’s still at +749 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. Look for him to get back on track. The Phillies will take this series, two games to one.
San Francisco Giants versus Arizona Diamondbacks
The Giants try to inch closer to the Diamondbacks in this NL West showdown. Arizona has a large +25 to +12 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. They are “burning hot” versus “average up”. Interestingly, both teams are among the most unstable teams in the league according to the Team Volatility Oscillator. Therefore, examining the favorite/underdog status might not be wise in this series. In terms of pitcher profit, the Diamondbacks have a clear advantage on Friday with Patrick Corbin (+677) over Andrew Suarez (-338). On the flip side, Dereck Rodriguez (+199) is a much better bet on Saturday compared to Shelby Miller (-1456). The finale should be a great match up with Derek Holland going against Zack Godley. Both have been excellent bets and are nearly identical on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. In a closer series, I see Arizona edging the Giants on Sunday to win, two games to one.
Atlanta Braves versus St. Louis Cardinals
The Braves look to fend off the Phillies and Nationals in the NL East, while the Cardinals try to continue their ascend in the NL Central. St. Louis is “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +22 on the Power Ranking Indicator, while the Braves are “average” and +21. Both teams are among the most unstable in the league, Atlanta ranks fifth and Arizona 10th on the Team Volatility Oscillator. While not outstanding bets, all three scheduled Atlanta starters (Julio Teheran, Brandon McCarthy and Mike Foltynewicz) are in the green on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. On the flip side, the Cardinals scheduled hurlers Miles Mikolas, Luke Weaver and John Gant are all in the red. This doesn’t mean the Braves will sweep. However, it’s a sign that the edge goes to the Braves. Atlanta should come out of St. Louis with a series win to maintain control in the NL East.
Colorado Rockies versus Los Angeles Dodgers
After a rough start, the Dodgers are within 2.5 games of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. Colorado is in fourth in the division and three games under .500. These are the two most unstable teams in the league, so betting strictly on favorite/underdog status is not wise. Examining the other oscillators, Los Angeles is +24 on the Power Ranking Indicator and “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator. They hold the edge in both over the Rockies, who are +10 and “average”. Four of the six scheduled starters in this series are in the red on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. The most sure bets are Rich Hill for the Dodgers over Tyler Anderson on Friday and Chad Bettis for the Rockies over Ross Stripling on Sunday. The Dodgers are the better overall team and should take two of three this weekend.
Cleveland Indians versus Oakland A’s
Cleveland has a commanding lead in the AL Central, while the A’s have pushed above .500 and are in third in the AL West. The Indians are +29 and “burning hot” status, while the A’s are +12 and “average”. However, Oakland has an advantage this weekend in terms of the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. Paul Blackburn has a slight +311 to +250 edge over Trevor Bauer in Friday’s opener. Although Frankie Mantas is barely in the green in terms of profit, he has been a better bet than Mike Clevinger, who is on the mound for the Indians. Avoid picking the A’s on Saturday, as Edwin Jackson has been a monumentally poor bet at -2922. All told, the Indians are better and should win two of three, but it wont be a surprise to see the A’s edge Cleveland and take two as well.
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